1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microscope apparatus including an immersion objective lens and a dry objective lens.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-275953, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, immersion microscopes used by filling the space between the tip of the objective lens and a specimen with liquid are known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Applications, Publication Nos. 2004-70307 and 2007-133077). Because such immersion microscopes have high effective numerical apertures (NAs), the resolution of detection optical systems can be increased.
Meanwhile, there is a market demand by people who want to perform macro observation on the same specimen using a low-magnification dry objective lens used in a dry state, after performing high-magnification observation on a local region using an immersion objective lens. However, when the immersion objective lens is switched to the dry objective lens to perform observation, liquid remains on a cover glass carrying the specimen, resulting in an inconvenience that a suitable observation field of view cannot be ensured in a dry state.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-70307 discloses the technical content of an immersion objective lens only and does not mention switching from the immersion objective lens to a dry objective lens. Although Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2007-133077 mentions the technique of supplying and collecting an immersion medium, it also discloses the technical content of the immersion objective lens only and does not mention switching to a dry objective lens.